


Stay.

by EmmyGreene



Series: Little Things. [18]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Sad, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 00:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11116518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyGreene/pseuds/EmmyGreene
Summary: Beth stays at the Kingdom with Daryl while he continues to deal with what happened.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will definitely be in 2 parts. Hopefully the second chapter will be posted Sunday.   
> I can't let go of them.

She chose to stay with him, of course she did. She didn’t really want to let him out of her sight. The past two nights they’d spent together were surrounded by other people. Plans had been made, options discussed and lengthy hypothetical situations explored. She’d sat next to him and tried not to focus too much on the fact he didn’t reach for her hand, didn’t playfully elbow her in the ribs or really acknowledge her much at all. He had more to say than she did and she was happy just to be back in his presence. When it came time for the others to leave the gate, she stayed and everyone acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. She didn’t even know that King Ezekiel’s offer was extended to her but she didn’t take up much space and was happy to pitch in with the gardening, she’d do whatever it took to stay near Daryl. There was something going on his mind that she couldn’t quite crack.

‘Ya shouldn’t a stayed’ he said to her as she knelt down to unfasten her boot. They’d been given a small room with two twin beds, dormitory style. She removed her shoes and sat cross legged on the end of one bed; as though to prove a point, Daryl took a seat on the one opposite.

‘ Daryl’ she gave him a look, ‘I wasn’t gonna leave you here alone.’

‘Who’s lookin’ after Judith?’

‘Not me’ she said flatly. ‘I miss her, but she aint mine. You are, that’s why it’s more important that I’m here.’

‘Y’know when we got you back from that hospital and you just wanted yer space?’ he said, looking at the ground. ‘It’s kinda like that’.

 ‘I get that’ she started, ‘I do. But I was always around people that loved me, I knew they were there. You don’t even have to speak to me if you don’t want. I won’t hassle you, I’ll just be here.’

He nodded. It was the perfect thing to say, it was the best of both worlds, he could see her, know she was safe but he didn’t have to deal with the guilt, the anguish that lingered from that horrible night. Nothing anyone said could make it right again now, not until he sorted things out for himself. He felt like that dirty redneck he used to be all over again and he hated that.

‘Rick wants me to talk to Ezekiel.’ Daryl said, moving to lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. ‘I don’t got the right words for that.’

‘Let me help’ Beth said gently.

He nodded.

‘You wanna sing?’

‘Wont that annoy you?’

‘Not if yer just singing, just don’t sing at me.’

‘Fine.’

She sang the first song that jumped into her mind, Amazing Grace. She realised quickly how fitting it was for the mood. When it was over she looked to him and realised he was deep in thought, still staring at that ceiling. She lowered herself onto the pillows and turned to face the wall. She’d give him as long as he needed. She didn’t totally understand what he was going through but she’d be there, waiting. ‘I love you’ she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. He didn’t respond but that was alright. She only cared that he heard it, that he knew it was true.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl finds comfort in Beth after visiting Carol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah so I planned to write this on the weekend after my final exam but... revision is so boring and I can't get these two out of my head...

 

It was later than usual when Daryl came into their room. Beth was already in bed, where she’d been counting to a hundred over and over hoping he’d walk through that door. She didn’t say anything when he entered though, that was part of the deal, that he’d have his space. So she was surprised when he knelt down beside her bed, so his head was in line with hers.

‘I found Carol’ he said. She looked at him and saw something different on his face. He’d stopped worrying about just himself, she could tell that what he was feeling now was concern.

‘She OK?’  Beth asked.

He shook his head ‘She’s not herself. I, I lied to her, told her everyone was OK.’

At this Beth sat up and placed a hand on the back of his head.

‘Are you Ok?’ she asked.

He shrugged ‘Don’t like seeing her like this. I don’t like this place. We’ve been here long enough, tomorrow, we’re headin’ back’

‘Back where?’

‘Alexandria, Hilltop, whichever is safest’

He stripped off his clothes and got into bed opposite her. They lay there in silence a while.

‘I never lied to Carol before’ Daryl said quietly.

‘Must’a thought you needed to then’ Beth replied in a whisper.

‘That’s what Morgan said’

‘You spoke to him about it?’

‘He found me. I went to see that tiger.’

‘So just your regular evening then?’ Beth said with a light smirk.

‘I wanted some space to think.’ He replied.

Beth understood that. For years on the farm she’d gone to talk to her horses when something was bothering her.

The silence wrapped around the room once more until Beth heard him turn to face her.

‘C’mere’ he said.

She nodded and left her bed to walk over to his, he held the blankets up a little so she could slide in beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and buried his face into her hair.

She pushed herself back against him, relishing the touch of his skin against hers.

‘I missed this’ she breathed out slowly.

‘When I was alone in there, I’d try ta’ pretend I was somewhere else, with you’

‘I spent every moment terrified about what they were doing to you’ she said slowly.

‘That’s how I felt when that car took you away’

He held onto her tighter and she could feel him, hard against her. It was the last thing she expected and yet it made sense. At the back of her mind she remembered she’d once read somewhere grief was a powerful aphrodisiac.

‘I need you’ he whispered in her ear. It wasn’t a demand, just the truth as he began to pull at the bottom of the tank top she slept in. She turned to face him ‘I need you too’ she said before reaching for his boxers.

It was rough and gentle, fast and slow and everything both of them needed. When it was over he went quiet again. Healing was a process and Beth understood that, so she went to get back into her own bed. She felt his hand on her wrist, ‘Stay’ he whispered as he pulled her back towards him, ‘stay’.  


End file.
